Winged Hussar
The Winged Hussar is an elite cavalry unit in the Polish Commonwealth. Drawn from the brave Polish gentry, the swift Hussars boast the finest equipment and military training of the time. The mere sight of these heavily-armored warriors charging on their mighty horses would be enough to inspire panic in the enemy ranks, and break the line of any troops still holding their ground. Nevertheless, the Hussars should avoid large groups of shooters, especially on a difficult terrain. In the 17th century, and even to this day, the Winged Hussars were considered one of the best cavalries in the world. In With Fire & Sword, the Winged Hussar is the most powerful Polish unit in the game. It is well armored and well armed with the best head and body armor and the longest lance in the game, the Hussar Lance. It is also the best Heavy Shock Cavalry unit in the game. You can recruit them when you buy a personal guard commander in your town. If you are of the Polish Faction, you will be able to train Winged Hussars from the Commander. They upgrade to Winged Hussar (veteran), which carries better armor and a Thoroughbred Horse. Tactics Winged Hussars are a versatile unit in-game, they can be utilized in any situation. In a ground war against any opposition, it's best to quickly arrange them in rows, command them to mount horses (even though they are mounted, if they are stationary for too long, they will dismount) before letting them charge head on. During a siege, it's best to let your marksmen or infantry soften the enemies' defense before unleashing them into a fortress or town. Despite their melee skills, keep in mind that they don't have any ranged weapons and are very vulnerable to musket fire in volleys. Hussars can change the tide of battles. Even if you are outnumbered, if you have a good company of Winged Hussars, they can demoralize the enemy entirely. Recruitment Similar to Noble Guards and Swedish Reiters, Winged Hussars are rare to find. There is no easy way of obtaining them. Methods of recruitment: #'Purchase:' Buying them is a lot easier than going after companies of enemies, etc. You can buy them from fully upgraded Polish Towns/Fortresses. You can buy 3 at a time and will take a couple of days before you can actually get them. #'Vassalage:' If you've pledged your alliance to King Jan Kasimir, you own a town or a fortress, and provided you have a decent amount money and patience, it is possible (but not always) to get an unlimited supply of Winged Hussars. To do this, firstly, you must fully upgrade your town/fortress or at least have a Stable and a Personal Guard Commander (it's not possible to hire a personal guard commander without hiring all the other guard commanders) in your town. Secondly, disband troops like Volunteers, Pikemen, or any other weak units defending your castle. Lastly, wait for a couple of days, if you see 18 Winged Hussars in your town's garrison after a few days, then you will know that you have an unlimited supply of Winged Hussars. If you take all of them away, there will be another batch of 18 Winged Hussars in a couple of days in-game. This is a great way of gathering a formidable cavalry and the greatest thing is that its completely free. #'Rescuing Prisoners:' When an opposing nation is at war with the Polish Commonwealth, vassals, fiefs, foragers, patrols and any other unit of that particular nation often have Winged Hussars as their prisoners. Outlaws such as Rebels, Deserters, Brigands, Looters and Tatar Raiders in Polish territory can sometimes have some Winged Hussars as prisoners. Although in only on a very rare occasion, Caravans may also have Winged Hussars as prisoners. #'Recruiting from prisoners:' Usually Polish Scouts and Foragers will have Winged Hussars as part of their party, meaning if you can capture one then you can try and recruit it to your party. Stats and equipment Gallery Pol HusStats.jpg M&BWF&S.jpg|With Fire & Sword boxart Ogniem_I_Mieczem.jpg|Ogniem I Mieczem (Polish: Fire and Sword) Hussars.jpg|Hussar's Charge Hussars 2.jpg|A Winged hussar and a veteran Trivia * There are several theories as to the existence of the Hussars' iconic "wings". One is that it was used as a method of protection against melee blows to the back. Another is that it was used as a method of psychological warfare, as it would make a clattering sounds that frightened both men and horses, and would present the Hussars as more menacing. Yet another theory is that the noise made from the wings would deafen the horses of the Hussars, who would then be impervious to the distracting noise-makers of Ottoman and Tatar cavalry. * In-game, Veterans are distinguished from regulars with the addition of leopard fur on their armor. * In reality, the Hussars were more heavily-armed: in addition to their lance and saber, they also carried a koncerz and a couple of pistols. Their in-game loadout is likely the result of a combination of balance reasons and limited weapon slots. Category:Cavalry